According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $5,079,989,099.86 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.53% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $280,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $5,359,989,099.86 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -0.56%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1940-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $280,000,000 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $280,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $290,632,911.39 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $315,443,037.97 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $313,473,980.31 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $313,080,168.78 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $313,080,168.78 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $331,983,122.36 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $363,366,872.23 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $405,171,481.12 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $435,464,675.97 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $446,673,158.07 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $475,300,227.20 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $506,653,683.87 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $521,194,417.40 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $513,621,118.68 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $507,411,013.74 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $516,498,972.20 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $545,277,507.30 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $563,301,958.24 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $586,627,718.27 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $586,476,252.30 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $593,140,755.17 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $605,560,965.05 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $608,893,216.49 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $617,981,174.94 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $628,129,395.22 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $637,065,887.70 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $655,241,804.61 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $676,144,109.06 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $702,196,256.63 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $738,245,158.50 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $777,020,447.91 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $786,108,406.36 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $810,948,826.14 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $901,828,410.69 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $986,497,890.30 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,084,647,841.61 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,161,138,158.61 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,215,514,443.36 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $1,388,791,517.91 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $1,636,135,453.86 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $1,834,252,948.18 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $1,909,834,469.33 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $1,955,425,727.58 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $2,042,215,730.82 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $2,096,137,617.66 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $2,014,648,923.51 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $2,075,538,245.16 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $2,139,608,352.27 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $2,246,694,796.06 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $2,373,017,418.59 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $2,438,299,253.49 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $2,491,615,276.43 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $2,566,893,865.63 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $2,644,444,444.44 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $2,739,110,678.35 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $2,816,358,325.22 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $2,840,895,813.05 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,787,276,858.16 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $2,843,319,268.64 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $3,019,171,264.74 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $3,037,347,181.65 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $3,009,931,840.31 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $3,102,477,550.58 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $3,211,533,052.04 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $3,424,342,745.86 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $3,561,267,986.58 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $3,636,487,504.06 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $3,850,478,632.48 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $3,529,582,819.43 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $3,808,077,247.65 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $4,181,609,001.41 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $4,279,498,431.25 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $4,280,960,077.90 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $4,251,967,975.77 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $3,919,736,449.20 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $3,837,567,672.83 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $3,968,932,597.64 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $4,148,086,551.99 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $4,136,364,600.24 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $3,964,387,103.75 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $4,541,769,338.96 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $5,244,188,250.57 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $5,256,958,346.86 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $5,329,948,285.19 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $5,359,989,099.86 | 0.56%* |
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.
Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Transportation:
| Year | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| CPI | 14.200 | 14.267 | 14.560 | 14.620 | 14.300 | 14.220 | 14.760 | 16.020 | 15.920 | 15.900 | 15.900 | 16.860 | 18.454 | 20.577 | 22.115 | 22.685 | 24.138 | 25.731 | 26.469 | 26.085 | 25.769 | 26.231 | 27.692 | 28.608 | 29.792 | 29.785 | 30.123 | 30.754 | 30.923 | 31.385 | 31.900 | 32.354 | 33.277 | 34.338 | 35.662 | 37.492 | 39.462 | 39.923 | 41.185 | 45.800 | 50.100 | 55.085 | 58.969 | 61.731 | 70.531 | 83.092 | 93.154 | 96.992 | 99.308 | 103.715 | 106.454 | 102.315 | 105.408 | 108.662 | 114.100 | 120.515 | 123.831 | 126.538 | 130.362 | 134.300 | 139.108 | 143.031 | 144.277 | 141.554 | 144.400 | 153.331 | 154.254 | 152.862 | 157.562 | 163.100 | 173.908 | 180.862 | 184.682 | 195.549 | 179.252 | 193.396 | 212.366 | 217.337 | 217.412 | 215.939 | 199.067 | 194.894 | 201.565 | 210.664 | 210.068 | 201.334 | 230.657 | 266.330 | 266.978 | 270.685 | 272.211 |